York City Knights v Toronto Wolfpack – playing ratings and big match talking points

Knights: Robson 10, Morrison 9, Hey 9, Butler-Fleming 10, Foggin-Johnston 10, Harris 10, C Robinson 9, Dixon 9, Jubb 10, Moran 10, Silk 10, Batchelor 10, Spears 10. Subs (all used): A Robinson 10, Chris Siddons 10, Haynes DNP, Porter 9.

Tries: Butler-Fleming 13; Harris 19, 40; C Robinson 70.

Conversions: C Robinson 13, 19, 40 70.

Penalty: C Robinson 57.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Toronto: Laulu Togagae, Pownall, Worthington, Hall, Kay, Wallace, Brierley, Emmtt, Beswick, Sidlow, Whiting, Laithwaite, Bussey. Subs (all used): Jack, Moimoi, Crossley, Pick.

Tries: Brierley 42; Beswick 45; Hall 59.

Conversions: Hall 42, 45.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: Brierley 20.

Man of the match: Liam Harris – with performances like this, this kid won’t be in League One for long… and neither will the Knights.

Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds) – pretty good.

Penalty count: 7-5

Half-time: 18-0.

Weather: pleasant.

Attendance: 2,601

Moment of the match: the buzz around the place in the build-up and on the match-day itself was something that hasn’t been seen since the Knights’ heyday of 2004-05. The performance on the pitch, and the result, is something that hasn’t been seen probably since the Knights were reborn in 2002 and for decades and decades before that too.

Gaffe of the match: Connor Robinson’s ill-advised off-load and Brad Hey’s missed tackle combined to give Toronto their third try as they threatened a comeback. Head coach James Ford probably won’t gloss over that in training, but we can.

Gamebreaker: Full-timers Toronto looked set to run away with it after back-to-back tries at the start of the second half cut the deficit to 18-12. But with pack leader Tim Spears sent back on, the Knights dug back in to maintain their lead thereafter. The Wolfpack did score again just before the hour, but Connor Robinson’s penalty before that and his try on 70 minutes, allied to Jonny Pownall’s miss at the other end, allowed York to see the game out wonderfully well.

Match rating: frankly unbelievable.